Dylan Sanders is a school museum curator who likes solving huge jigsaw puzzles.

New Ideas for Corporate Events and Meeting Themes

As the end of the year draws near, everyone is trying to one-up each other when it comes to corporate event and meeting themes. How can you make an event popular as well as personal? What event decor and design will be the talk of the town while still giving good ROI? Which theme will make both sponsors and event goers happy?

When you feel like all of your ideas are taken, we’re here to rescue you with a few themes that will give you the brain spark you need. With that, we’ve also sprinkled in some ideas for seating people, choosing new event tech, and promoting your event.

The costs for events continue to rise, but that doesn’t negate the fact that these are still the prime vehicle when it comes to brand promotion. This is from a Harvard Business Review study through a survey of more than 700 executives. But it’s not just any kind of event. Single-day events continue to be the most popular type which around half of some companies’ marketing budgets. The research also opens up a few opportunities for event professionals, like improving attendee tracking measures for corporate events.

Can dishwashers give your event a unique theme? Yes, if you follow LG’s lead and turn it into a water park. These out-of-the-box ideas will surely inspire you for your next corporate event. For those on a budget, you can create some chalk art that would instantly transport your audience to a different location or reality. Or, maybe rent out some campgrounds and have an instant venue for your next event. You can also mix your primary product with your event treats, like what The Container Store did when they rolled out drawers filled with macarons.

Conferences can feature a wide range of themes, but it’s so easy to get lost with your own ideas that may or may not even become a reality. This is why the first rule for making memorable meeting themes is to pick one that you can execute. A theme must be convincing and immersive, and not just something that hovers awkwardly in the background. And yes, details matter. You could even repurpose something common and get away with it, if you can present it in a convincing way.

Planning seating arrangements for meals seems like a no-brainer to many event professionals. But don’t let schedules override serendipity. Meals are an opportunity for talk and networking, so you should work to make seating arrangements a venue where people can really get to know each other well. Don’t put any distractions, and make the place comfortable enough that people want to stay for just a few more minutes to talk. The shape of the table also matters to get some great conversation flowing.

Event tech has made life much easier for attendees. Various platforms help participants meet each other. Others help them get past long lines through stored data. There are also tech geared towards ensuring attendee security, while others are used for tracking. Others see this as a privacy risk though, especially when the wrong people gain access to your data. For the industry at large however, the myriad of developments is an investment that’s paying off as it helps close the gap between attendees and the companies behind the events.

Augmented reality can be difficult to nail down in your event without it looking frivolous. Don’t let this dissuade you though. AR is still a powerful tool when used the right way. This guide lists seven use cases for augmented reality, such as a virtual tour into the host company’s operations and a virtual photo booth which lets audiences pose with their favorite personalities. Museums are also huge fans of AR, with virtual annotated signs that bring ideas closer to the viewer and on-the-spot restoration of displays. All of these innovative ideas can be applied to your next corporate event.

While runaway fame is something every event professional aspires for, it’s not always fun. For one, oversold events present a lot of logistic difficulties. Not to mention, there will be a lot of unhappy campers who can’t get in. If this happens, this guide lists a few things that you can do to appease those who were bumped off the list. These range from discounts to future events, extra giveaways, and a personalized apology that ought to dampen some of the hard feelings. More importantly, your team should find ways to prevent overselling your event in the future.

Holding an event can sometimes be a gamble. There’s some risk but there’s also the potential for massive gain. Like any gamble however, there’s a way to minimize the risks in events. Going by the book when it comes to the event management process is essential, but you also need to include a contingency plan for when things get off the rails. Doing your due diligence and maximizing your streams of income is also important to reduce the chances of unsavory surprises. And never forget about insurance. Lastly, keep an open line of communication with all stakeholders to keep them informed (and happy).

You’re familiar with how to craft an event from scratch, but the area of event promotion is an ever-evolving field. It’s also fairly complicated, and you have to deal with everything from technology to partners and sponsors. Social media is another field altogether, and knowing how to create a good video is just the start. This guide lists down all the techniques relevant to a good event promotion strategy, along with some important tips to push you towards success.

Just because you’re on the road doesn’t mean your event should be confined to the venue. Social media provides a way for you to spread your marketing to the world, and also allows you to entice more people to visit your exhibition. This should be deeply integrated into your event plan, right from pre-planning and marketing all the way to follow up. Doing this will let you maximize your leads, both personal and social, and it also allows you to build a strong online community. When nurtured, such a community will be a useful asset to both your future events and your brand.

Every event professional wants to be in the Goldilocks zone when it comes to attendance. Not too few that it makes the event look empty and boring, but not too many that it strains the logistics capability of your team and venue.

The trick is knowing the maximum number of attendees you can take in so that you get more bang for your buck, but not too much. What’s your personal rule of thumb when it comes to estimating audience numbers?